Academy of Nature in Roztocze
The best experience with the Academy of Nature in Roztocze
A passion for birdwatching combined with an excellent knowledge of the terrain ensures an exciting experience every morning. Active rest in the fresh air in a group of several people is an opportunity to establish mutual relations and get to know the unique nature of Roztocze.
RegisterEnjoy bird watching with the Academy of Nature in Roztocze
Bird watching in the morning is a real emotion and positive energy for the whole day. Birdwatching combined with cycling gives wings to the mind and body. This elite hobby is achievable for all of us.
Upcoming expeditions
We offer trips Bird & Bike and Bird & Car, which provide observations of the most interesting species of birds living in Roztocze. The offer is constantly modified and takes into account changes in the number of individual bird species related to their biology and current environmental conditions.
News from Roztocze
Hen Harrier (Circus cyaneus)
Hen Harrier (Circus cyaneus) is one of the rarest harriers in Poland. Its number in Poland is probably several pairs. The Hen Harrier is smaller and more delicate than the Marsh Harrier. The male is ashen on the outside with a gray hood reaching to the breast and black primary remiges. The female is similar to the female Montagu's Harrier and Pallid Harrier, but has wider and more rounded wings (you can see it in the video).
Hen Harrier appears regularly throughout the country during the migration period. It is a migratory bird. It lives in vast and open areas, usually near river valleys. Autumn and winter are the best times to observe these rare birds of prey in Roztocze.
Migrations of Cranes
Cranes (Grus grus) are migratory birds that form pairs for life. They come to us in spring to their breeding grounds. They build their nests in wetlands, among reeds and sedges, most often in alder forests. They usually have one or two cubs. In autumn, whole families of cranes form huge herds and begin to migrate to wintering grounds. These spectacular Crane keys can be heard clearly in the sky from mid-September, October and even mid-November. They are accompanied by a characteristic sound called a clangor. Sometimes the voices of young Cranes can be heard among the flying Cranes , which can be compared with individual whistles (heard in the film). The Cranes fly to Western Europe, Southern Europe, and some to North Africa. In recent years, there have been cases of wintering of Cranes in Poland, probably it is associated with increasingly milder winters. Cranes migrate through Poland along two main routes: one north-central, about 400,000 Cranes fly, and the other east-south, about 150,000 Cranes. The latter trail runs through Roztocze, which is why we can enjoy these extraordinary spectacles of nature every autumn.
Autumn migrations of geese
It is time for the autumn migration of geese. Travel is one of the greatest phenomena of bird life. An important migration route for birds nesting in the north of the continent runs through our country. Roztocze is on the eastern migration route of birds, including geese. Hundreds of thousands of geese nesting in the tundra and taiga fly to their wintering grounds in Western Europe. The most numerous are geese: White-fronted Goose, Bean Goose (since 2018 taxonomically divided into Bean Goose and Tundra Goose) and Greylag Goose, which winter in Poland more and more frequently. In the photo is Tundra Goose. Geese wander in keys with whole families both during the day and at night. During their first migration, the young use the knowledge and experience of their parents. During migration, they often stop for a few days' rest during which they forage intensively. Then there is an opportunity to observe geese species, just like now in Roztocze. Larger water reservoirs adjacent to open agricultural areas are the best places for these birds to stay. Geese migrations end in December when they reach wintering grounds scattered throughout Europe, including Western Poland. However, they will not be there for long, because in March they set off on their way back.
Lesser Spotted Eagle (Clanga pomarina)
Lesser Spotted Eagle (Clanga pomarina) is one of the smallest eagles in Poland. Its population in the country is about 2,000 pairs. The mite is one of the regions where it can be observed from May to September, as it is a migratory bird that winters in Africa, south of the Sahara. This stately brown-colored predator is larger than a buzzard, has long, balanced wings and a fairly short tail. It builds its nest mainly on conifers. The female usually lays 2 eggs, but usually raises one chick. The Lesser Spotted Eagle feeds on small mammals, but eagerly hunts for frogs. He can often be observed looking for food on foot in the fields and meadows. Sometimes he looks for his prey from a high post in the trees. The main threat to the Lesser Spotted Eagle are unfavorable environmental changes, in particular: scaring birds during the breeding season, intensification of agriculture, drainage of wet meadows and wastelands, and leveling balks, trees and shrubs in fields and meadows. Lesser Spotted Eagle observation is an attraction on every trip around Roztocze.